A Quick Chat with Coldwave

Congratulations on the release of The Ants / Italia ‘06! Can you tell us a bit about how these came about

The Ants was written within a span of a few weeks at the beginning of this year. We wanted to explore our take on the midwest emo sparkly guitar sounds. The lyrics for the song really came from the sparkly guitars, they made me reminisce on childhood and think about my place in the world.

Italia ‘06 had been kicking around for a while, particularly the beginning section, which had been sitting in our back pocket for a year or so. To pair with The Ants we took a different and less conventional approach to structure. Exploring sonic contrasts of heavy and fast, sparse and dense. Italia ‘06 is the more narrative of the two tracks, thematically it’s about the ‘Aussie battler’ trope and feeling hard done by in a social or cultural bubble.

-kiran/harry

What was it like making The Ants video?
It was genuinely really easy and felt quick. We worked with long-term collaborator Mayah Salter who shot and edited the video. Whenever we collaborate with Mayah we really feel at ease because she’s such a brilliant creative. The concept of the clip is pretty simple and focuses on performance and playing with scale with this enormous zoom lens. It was also the first time working with Conor Mercury on a music video. We really admire Conor’s work, he’s a pretty iconic person in the Adelaide music scene and it was a really fun experience having him take the reins on this clip.

-harry

Can you tell us a bit about your creative process? What inspires you?
Our songs usually come about by starting with a certain idea or vibe and letting that guide where we land. We bounce that around in a shared space — sometimes mostly formed or not formed at all — all bringing our own influences and opinions. Being democratic with six members is a challenge, but it creates a push and pull that results in a really interesting direction or sound. I’d say we’re influenced by whatever’s happening in our lives at that point in time. Our art represents how we’re feeling, what we’re listening to and the vibe the world is throwing out at us at that moment.

-jordan

What are you expecting from SXSW Sydney this year?
Utter chaos, a lot of running around Sydney. The lineup for this year's event is crazy. We’re keen to hang out with as many people as possible and hopefully make some new friends.

-harry

What’s your favourite thing about the Kaurna/Adelaide music scene?
There is always something on in Adelaide that you can enjoy. No matter the gig there will be at least one band there that you either already like or will become a new favourite. From the large number of gigs comes new and interesting bands that are exploring new sounds and ideas. As well as bands that have been kicking around for a while and have honed in and mastered their sound over the years.

-anthony

What’s next for you in 2024?
We’re really excited to tour these new tracks across the east coast in October especially at our SXSW Sydney shows. Every other moment we get we will be writing and hopefully will be able to announce some overseas touring by the end of the year.

-harry

TOUR DATES
Fri 11 Oct - The Workers Club - Naarm/Melbourne w/ Tongue Dissolver + Ella Ion
Sun 13 Oct - North Gong Hotel Dharawal/Wollongong w/ The Lonesomes + Courtney Bus + Stirr
Fri 25 Oct - Jive - Tarndanya/Adelaide w/ Swapmeet + The Munch

SXSW SYDNEY SHOWCASES
Weds 16 Oct @ 9:10pm - Laneway Presents Party - The Commons Courtyard
Thur 17 Oct @ 6:00pm - Our Golden Friend x Chapter Music Party - The UTS Loft, Main Room

Coldwave links:

Interviewsaustralianmusicscene8 October 2024